Education u-turn from Flintshire councillors

A cross-party Flintshire County Council Committee has recommended that plans to merge four catholic schools are scrapped.

Yesterday Flintshire Council’s Education, Youth & Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee debated proposals to merge St Anthony’s in Saltney, St. David’s school in Mold, and St. Mary’s and St. Richard Gwyn Schools in Flint to form a ‘superschool’ in Flint.

A consultation showed that over 95% of parents voted against the controversial move and despite officers recommending its approval, councillors have recommended that the plans are ditched.

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, who has been campaigning on behalf of objectors and has been running his own petition against the proposals, sent a letter to the council urging them to listen to parents.

He welcomed news that a cross-party Flintshire County Council committee has recommended that plans to merge four Catholic schools are scrapped.

 He said:

“I am absolutely delighted that councillors have listened to parents and realised that to go ahead with his controversial plan is not the right way forward.

“I was extremely disappointed that this controversial proposal actually went as far as a consultation given the huge tide of concern from parents, governors, teachers and local councillors.

“During the Summer I met with action groups who have been set up to fight against the plans and I am pleased to see the Council realise the depth of feeling on this controversial issue.

“People were quite rightly extremely concerned and alarmed for their future of their local schools and the impact that closures would have on their communities.

“I am a firm believer in keeping schools local and I do not think merging four local schools into one “superschool” is the right way forward. St Anthony’s, for example, has been part of the Saltney community for over 150 years and provides education grounded in Christian values.

“I hope that Flintshire Council’s Cabinet Committee will take this on board and that these proposals will be thrown out later this month.”

Flintshire County Council were planning to close four catholic schools and create a super-school in Flint for pupils aged 3-18 from 2026 to 2029.

They include St Anthony's Catholic Primary in Saltney, St David's in Mold, St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School and St Mary's in Flint with the proposed new school being developed on the existing sites of St Richard Gwyn and St Mary’s in Flint and leading to the closure of St Anthony’s by September 2026.

Pictured - Sam Rowlands MS pictured earlier this year with parents, governors and councillors who object to the proposal.